Rail-joint.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

0 1) PETERS RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1905.

19i two/sou UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 2, 1906.

Application filed y 14,1905. Serial No. 269,681.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE D. PETERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Etherley, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in rail-joints designed tosupport the rail to prevent sagging and to secure the meeting endstogether to prevent independent longitudinal movement.

The main object of the present invention is the production of auxiliarymeans designed for cooperation with the specially-formed meeting ends ofrails and adapted when in operative position to prevent independentmovement of the rails in any direction.

The preferred details of structure will be described in the followingspecification, reference being had particularly to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating myimproved rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof, takenimmediately below the tread of the rail. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionthrough the same, the wedges being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is atransverse section showing the wedges locked in operative positive.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the ends of the railsdesigned to 006perate with my improved auxiliary securing means areenlarged to provide for the reception of the operating mechanism, thebase of the rail 1 being widened, as at 2, to provide an increasedbearing-surface and the web of the rail being thickened at 3, saidthickened portion being hollow or recessed to provide a housing 4,having vertically-arranged side walls, as shown. The meeting ends of therails properthat is, the tread portions, web portions, andbase-flangesare cut in reverse directions on a line diagonal to thelongitudinal dimension of the rail to prevent lateral movement of therail ends when secured together.

The walls of the housing 4 of one of the rail ends are each providedwith a longitudinally-arranged slot 5, these slots being in parallelalinement to provide for the operation described. Wedge-blocks 6 and 7are adapted for insertion within the housing, the lower face of thewedge 6 being formed on an upward incline and the upper face of thewedge 7 being similarly formed, whereby the meeting faces of thesewedge-blocks are adapted for action, the remaining faces of thesewedge-blocks being of a contour to correspond with that of the housing,whereby said blocks are slidably mounted within the housing and readilymoved from one position to the other, being guided by the housing-walls.Near the rear end each of the blocks is formed on the inclined face witha transversely-arranged semicircular depression 8, designed when inregister with each other to provide a circular open-ing extendingtransverse the blocks, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Therespective vertical dimensions of the blocks is such that when theblocks are within the housing formed with the longitudinallyarrangedslots 5 said recesses 8 are in alinement and register with the slots 5near their rear ends. The inclined faces of the wedgeblocks are alsoprovided with semicircular depressions 9, which when in register witheach other form transverse bolt-receiving open ings. The depressions 9are so formed, however, that when the depressions 8 are in register thedepressions 9 will be out of register, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.3.

The wedge-blocks are of a length to seat completely within that railformed with the longitudinally-arranged slots 5, whereby the rails maybe assembled in proper position without interference with thewedge-blocks. It is further understood that the depressions 9 are soarranged in the Wedge-blocks that when the parts are in looking positionthe respective depressions 9 will be in transverse alinement withbolt-holes 10, formed in the side walls of the respective housings ofboth ra1 s.

In use the rail ends of my improved railjoint are arranged in alinement,so that the respective housings register longitudinally, it beingunderstood that in the initial positions of the parts the wedge-blocks 6and 7 are wholly within the housing formed with the longitudinal slotsand bearing against the rear wall of said housing, so as to register thedepressions 8 in the respective blocks, and thereby form an openingtransverse of the wedge-block and in communication with the slots 5 neartheir rear ends. To look the rails together,

a suitable. tool, as a punch, is inserted in the opening formed by theregistering depressions 8, and the wedge-blocks as a whole are movedinto the housing of the adjacent rail end. As the depressions 9 do notregister when the depressions 8 are in register, this movement of thewedge-blocks, while probably alining the depressions 9 of the wedgeblock7 with the bolt-openings 10,will not aline the depressions 9 of thewedge-block 6 therewith. To secure this necessary alinement, the upperwedge-block 6 is driven by a suitable tool, preferably by its insertionin one of the exposed recesses 8, a slight distance forward to aline thedepressions 9 with the depressions 9 in the lower block, this forwardmovement of the upper block serving also to tightly wedge the blocks inplace, as will be apparent. A suitable tool, as a punch, is now insertedthrough one of the bolt-holes 10 and driven transversely of thewedgeblocks to insure the absolute alinement of the depressions 9 witheach other and with the bolt-holes, after which the usual bolts 11 areinserted therethrough and secured beyond the walls of the housing in theusualmanner.

It is to be understood that the slots 5 are of a length to permit thedescribed operation of the wedge-blocks, whereby to provide for theconvenient locking or unlocking of the parts.

As the wedge-blocks are not in cooperative Wedge action until the finalmovement of the upper block, it is evident that the wedgeblocks arereadily moved longitudinally of the housing in their initial operation,and that therefore the securing of the locking means in place is readilyand conveniently accomplished.

The securing-bolts 11 by their cooperation with the respectivedepressions in the wedgeblocks tend to maintain said blocks in theirwedge cooperation with each other and with the housings. The lock is asecure one, and the rail ends are maintained in perfect alinement andprevented from movement in any direction.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Incombination with the meeting ends of railway-rails, of wedge-blocksdesigned to be moved longitudinally of the rails without wedging action,means to move one of said blocks with relation to the other to produce aWedging action, and means to hold said blocks in wedging position.

52. In combination with the meeting ends of railroad-rails, ofwedging-blocks designed to formed with registering housings at theirmeeting ends, wedge-blocks longitudinally movable in said housings, twosets of depressions formed in each wedge-block, the depressions of oneset being in register in the respective blocks only when the blocks arein wedging position, and means to engage said registering depressions.

4. The combination with railroad rails formed with housings adapted tolongitudinally aline when the rails are in position, wed ge-blocksseated in one housing and adapted to cooperate with the other, each ofsaid wedge-blocks being formed with an operating depression adapted toaline with each other for the initial movement of the blocks, each ofthe blocks being formed with locking depressions normally out ofregister, said looking depressions registering only after the wedgingaction of the blocks, and means engaging the walls of the housing andsaid registering locking depressions.

5. The combination with railroad rails formed withlongitudinally-arranged housings at their meeting ends, of wedge-blocksnormally within one housing and adapted to cooperate with the other,each of said wedgeblocks being formed with operating depressions andwith locking depressions, said looking depressions being out of registerin the respective blocks when the operating depressions thereofregister, the walls of the housing being formed with longitudinallyarranged slots adapted to register with the operating depressions in thewedge-blocks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE D. PETERS.

Witnesses:

DAVID I. REYNOLDS, GUY PETERS.

